Match-box holder



G. RIETVELD MATCH BOX HOLDER Oct. 14, 1930.

Filed Feb. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 14, 1930. G. RIETVELD 1,778,603

MATCH BOX HOLDER Filed Feb. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 14, 1930 ATENT FFECE GIDEOH RIETVELD, OF KNOXVILLE, IOWA MATCH-BOX HOLDER Application filed. February l, 1929. Serial No. 337,595.

The object of my invention is to provide a match box holder of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, which may be formed of sheet metal by the stamping procass, and of few parts, and at, the same time providing a match box holder which is adapted to receive the inner container of an ordinary match box, and to completely enclose and shield the match box container and its is contents, and at the same time permits the matches to be easily removed.

More specifically it is the object of my invention to provide a match box holder adapted to receive and shield a box of lnatches supported therein, and to provide improved means whereby the matches may be easily and quickly removed.

A further object is to provide in a sheet metal box holder, hav its bottom, top, sides and ends closed and one of its sides provided with an opening for delivering matches, improved means of simple construction for automatically closing said opening after the matches have been removed.

A further object is to provide in an enclosed match box holder, having an opening in one side for delivering matches, improved. means for automatically feeding the matches to a position adjacent to said opening in a sym-' metrical manner whereby the matches may be easily and quickly removed.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various k arts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved match box holder.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken through the front and back s 10\V-' ing the holder in its open position for receiving a match box.

Figure 8 is an end elevation of the upper end of the box in its closed position.

Figure 4: is an end elevation of the upper end of the holder in its open position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, :detail, sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a detail, central sectional view of the lower end of the box in its closed posi tion.

Figure 8 is a segmental perspective View of a portion of the front end of the holder with the door for closing the opening of the holder removed.

Figure 9 is a box door.

Figure 10 is a blank of the main body portion of my improved match box holder.

The body of my improved match box holder is formed of a blank of sheet metal having the form illustrated in Figure 10, and comprises a rectangular body portion 10 having at one end a rectangular opening 11 and a depressed portion 12a-t its opposite end. of the end portions of the body 10 is provided with flanges 13 and 14. The width of said flanges i; sligl'itly greater than half the depth on: the finishedholder. The length of said flanges is equal to the length of the finished holder. The inner ends of the mem- 13 and A are spaced apart a distance substa i-ally equal to the depth of the holder, said inner edges being curved as illustrated.

PGISPGC'tlVG view of the match The side ed es of the members 13 and 14, near heir inner ends, are each providedwith a substantially Vshaped notch 15. The distance between the apex of said notches and the side ed; of the body portion 10 is equal to half the depth of the holder. The outer ends of each of the flanges 13 and 14 terminate inside of the extreme ends oi the body portion a distance somewhat greater than half the depth of the holder, to form bottom membore 17.

The flanges 13 an are bent alon the dottedlines 1.6 to pc at right angles to said body portion, both sets of flanges being bent in the same direction. The bottom members 17 are then bent on the dotted lines 18 in the same direction as the flanges 13 and 14.

The upper end of the body member, as illustrated in Figure 10, is bent along the dotted lines 19, while the bottom of the body portion is bent along the dotted lines 20, so that the upper portion of the body 10 forms the The side edges the holder, while the lower porhe rent memoers are brnt to rbstantially parallel the corresponding )"ing with one of -rs 13 and H- orerlx.

c ges ot the members 53 and lloverlap. The overlapping portions are oliiset in the manner illustrated in Figure (5.

3 this arrangement will be seen that a lag formed by the notch of one of the flange members, will be supported inside of the r:orresponding lug while an overlapping side member 25 will rest outs'ue of an raider-lapping side member 26, in the manner shown in Figure Thus it will be seen that means is provided for locking the upper ends oi the flanges 13 and 1% together. T he said ranges form the side members 05 the con'ipleted holder. The holder is made somewhat r 'lient so that it naturally assumes the position illustrated in Figure 2.

The free ends oi? the two halves of the holder are separated such a distance as to permit a match box to be placed between them and inserted into the back half of the holder in an upright position, in the manner illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2, with the front of the match box open. The front half is then swung inwardly with the end members 17 having the opening 11 underlapping the memher having the depression 12, so that the said depression enters the opening 11 and forms means for locking the two halves of the holder together, in the manner il ustrated in Figure 7.

It will be seen that as one of the V- shaped notches coir s the (rm-responding hote is, as the two hmves of the holder are moved to a closed position, the coacting bottom edges of said notches will form a sort or fulcrum with the portions of the holder number below said notches moving in "ardly toward each other as the holder is moved to a closed position, and the portions 0 .1 the members above said not hes will be simultaneously moved outwardly from each other, in such a manner that the points of intersection. be tween the top member 19 and the front and back members will be stretched and caused to is straightened out and s1 ,4 ci'igage the curved upper ends or the iia 'es 13 and 14, so that a comparatively tight titmaybe maintained between said upper curred end portions and the top member 19.

The straightening out and stretching of the top member 19 provices means for assisting in throwing the lower ends of: the halves of the holder apart when the bottom members 17 are released by pressing the member 12 inwardly, it being understood that the bottom members 17 and the member 12 are formed of yicldable and resilient nu.- terial. The resiliency of the top member if) also assists in separating the lower ends of the two halves.

The back 21 is provided with a small opening 2? having a slot 28 for receiving a nail 29, or other suitable means for supporting the box. A similar but larger opening 31 is provided near the bottom end of the back 21, which may also be provided with a suitable supporting pin or nail if so desired. The larger opening 30 also provides means whereby the match box may be removed from the holder by inserting the operators finger.

The front member 22 is provided with a substantially U-shaped slot- 31, having at its free ends laterally extending portions 32 to form a guide plate 33, bent inwardly and downwardly in the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 8, and forms an opening through which the matches may be removed. The inner end of the guide 3 is curved downwardly and adapted to project into the match box a slight distance, so the; matches will be fed to the lower end of t m holder in a symmetrical manner and in parallel relation with each other and with the bottom of the holder. A portion of the matches in the top portion of the match box, when it is full, rest on the guide plate 33.

The guide plate 33 provides means whereby a recess 35 may be prov ed through which the matches may be easily removed, and also in which a suitable door may be swung for closing the opening 3d.

The door which I have provided for closing said opening is formed of a single piece of sheetmetal, comprising a body portion fill having its upper edge bent outwardly and then upwardly to form a flange 37. The width of the door is equal to the distanre between the notches 32 and designed to he slid into said notches with the flange 3T rcsting against the shoulders "Formed by the notches 32, so that said shoulders and the flange 37 act as a hinge for the door 36. The central portion of the door 36 is PX WldOfl with an inverted, substantially U-shaped slot 38 to form a tongue 39, the free end oi wh i'rh bent inwardly and designed to rest age ins! the upper end of the guide plate 33. in ii: manner shown in Figure 9;. The tongue 39 acts as a spring by means of which the door 36 is automatically moved to a closed posi tion. The door 36 is slightly larger than the opening 3 1 so that its edges rest inside of and adjacent to the front member 22.

The upper corners of the underlapping members 13 are bent inwardly at $0, as shown in Figure 6, to permit the holder to be easily folded together, so that said underlapping portions will always be supported inside of the outer overlapping portions,

thereby preventing the overlapping portions from accidentally being moved to improper relation with each other.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a match box holder, the main body of which is constructed of a single piece of sheet metal, having the form of two halves with their inner edges arranged in telescopic relation and their upper ends pivotally connected, so that their lower ends are free to move from each other, ta permit a match box to be inserted, after which the free ends a re moved together and latched, forming a comparatively tight holder. The holder is pro vided with asuitable door which is also formed of a single piece of sheet metal operatively mounted in position without hinges or other pivoting devices, and yieldably supported to automatically assume a closed position without the use of extra mechanism such as springs, any other than the resiliency of the metal of which the holder is constructed. The halves of the holder are locked in their closed position by an efficient locking device, which is formed of the bottom members of the holder. The holder is so constructed that when a match box is placed therein, matches will not he accidentally thrown out, and which is substantially fireproof in case the matches within should become ignited, and at the same time the matches may be easily and quickly removed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A match box holder comprising section havinga back, sides and a bottom memher, and another section havinga front, sides and a bottom member, the open sides of said sections being adjacent and provided with a common resilient top member, the free edges of said side members being provided with coacting notches to form tulcrums, whereby the two sections may be pivot-ally mounted together, and means for latching said members in a. closed position.

2. A match box holder comprising a section having a back, sides and a bottom mem her, and another section having a front, sides and a bottom member, the open sides of said sections being adjacent and provided with a. common resilient top member, the free edges of said side members being provided with coacting notches to form fulcrnms. whereby the two sections may be pivot-illy mounted together, and to provide means for stretching the top member adjacent to the top ends of said sides as the free ends of said sections are moved together, and means for latching said free ends in a closed position.

3. A match box holder comprising a section having a back, sides and a bottom member, and another section having a front, sides and a bottom member, the upper ends of said side members being curved, and the open ends of said sections being mounted adjacent and" provided with a common resilient top member, the free edges of said side membershaving coacting notches to form fulcrums, whereby the two sections may be pivotally mounted together, and to proviue means for stretching the top member adjacent to the curved ends of said side members as the free end of said sections are moved to closed position, and means for latching said free ends together.

4. A match box holder comprising a section having a back, sides and a bottom member, and another section having a front, sides and a bottom member, the open s des of said sections being adjacent and provided with a common resilient top member, the free edges of said side members being provided with coacting notches to form fulcrum's, whereby the two sections may be pivotally mounted together, the free edges of said bottom members overlapping, one of said overlapping portions including an opening and the other a. depression for entering said opening and for latching said sections together.

5. A match box holder having a tron t providedwith a substantially U-shaped slot to form a tongue, having its free end bent inwardly and downwardly to form a guard plate, a delivery opening in said front, the upper ends of said slotshaving outwardly projecting notches, and a door formed of a single piece of sheet metal having an outwardly extending flange at its upper end and mounted in the outwardly projecting notches of said slots.

6. A match box holder having a front provided with a substantially U-shaped slot to form a tongue, having its free end bent inwardly and downwardly to form a guard plate, a delivery opening in said front, the upper ends of said slots having outwardly projecting notches, and a door formed of a single piece of sheet metal having an outwardly extending flange at its upper end and mounted in the outwardly projecting notches of said slots, the center of said door being provided with a substantially inverted U-shaped notch to provide an inwardly and upwardly projecting tongue having its free end designed to engage the inwardly and downwardly projecting shield plate, the last said tongue providing yieldable means for closing said door. 7

7. A match box holder comprising a sec-- tion having aback, sides and a bottom member, and another section having a front, sides and a bottom member, the open sides of said sections being adjacent and provided with a common resilient top member, the tree edges of said side members being provided with coacting notches to form fulorums whereby the twosections may be pivotally mounted together, and means for latching the free ends of said sections together, said front member being provided with a substantially U-shaped notch to form an inwardly and downwardly projecting tongue, and a de livery opening in said front.

A match box holder comprising a seei'ion having a back, sides and a bottom memlat-r, and another section having a front sides and a oottom member, the open sides of said evtions being znijacent and provided with a common resilient top member, the free edges of said side members being provided with reacting notches to form fnlcrmns whereby the two sections may be pivotally mounted together, means for latching the free ends of said sections together, said front member being provided with a substantially U-shaped notch to form an inwardly and downwardly projecting tongue, a delivery opening in said front, a pivotally mounted door for said opening, and yieldable means for closing said door.

9. A match box holder comprising a section having a back, sides and a bottom member. and another section having a front, sides and a bottom member, the open sides of said sections being adjacent and provided with a common resilient top member, the tree edges of said side members being provided with coacting notches to term tulcrums whereby the two sections may be pivotally mounted together, means for latching the free ends of said sections together, said front member being provided with a substantially U-shaped a notch to form an inwardly and downwardly pro-retina tongue, a delivery openin in said 1' LI c, ,7 4

i me lice ends or. said U-shaped slot be- 1 provided with outwardly pro ecting notches, and a door formed of a single piece of sheet metal supported in said notches and ha ving an outwardly projecting flange at its upper end to limitthe downward movement o i. aid door, the said door having an inverted substantially ii-shaped slot to form an inwardly projecting tongue, the free end of which is dcrflrned to rest against the inward ly projecting tongue of said front member.

Des lrioines, Iowa, January 24, 1929.

GIDEON 'nin'rvnnn. 

